A mower deck may be suspended from a lawn and garden tractor or other vehicle, or “floated” on wheels attached to the mower deck. The mower deck may cover one or more rotary cutting blades. When a mower deck is suspended from a vehicle frame, the mower deck and blades should be in proper alignment relative to the mowing vehicle at all cutting heights. For example, the mower deck should be properly aligned so that each rotary cutting blade is level side-to-side, and has a slight forward angle or “rake.” Proper alignment of the mower deck helps achieve better cut quality, prevents grass frazzling, provides better grass dispersal, better bagging results, and reduces the power required to run the engine. Additionally, the mower deck should be calibrated so that the blades are at the cutting height specified by the mower deck height control knob or lever.
To determine if a mower deck is level and properly aligned at a designated cutting height, several measurements may be taken. Typically, measurements can be taken from a hard, level floor or ground surface under the vehicle up to the tip of a rotary cutting blade. To check if the mower deck is level side-to-side, the blades are manually rotated to a position parallel to the vehicle axle and measurements are taken from the ground up to the left and right outside blade tips. The blades may be considered level side-to-side if the left and right measurements are within about ⅛ inch of each other. To check if the mower deck is properly aligned front-to-rear, the blades are rotated to point straight forward and backward, and measurements are taken from the ground up to the front and rear blade tips. The blades are considered properly aligned front-to-rear if the front blade tip is about ⅛ inch to about ½ inch lower than the rear blade tip. This may be referred to as “rake.”
After the measurements, one or more adjustments may be made on the linkages between the mower deck and vehicle frame. For example, to level the mower deck side-to-side, a nut or other connector on the left-hand lift link may be turned to raise or lower the left side of the mower deck. Similarly, to properly align the mower deck front-to-rear, yokes or other connectors between the front of the mower deck and vehicle frame may be rotated in either direction to lift or lower the front of the mower deck. Additionally, linkages may be adjusted so that the height of the cutting blades corresponds to the cutting height designated on the mower deck height control knob or lever. The measuring process may need to be repeated again to calibrate the deck height control knob or lever; i.e., to insure that the final cutting height is the same as the height specified on the deck height control.
In the past, leveling gauges have existed for measuring the height of the blade from the floor. For example, leveling gauges such as those available from Deere & Company of Moline, Ill. may include a pivoting arm attached to a base with a height scale. The base of the gauge may be positioned on the floor, and one end of the arm may be pivoted until it contacts the blade tip. The other end of the arm points to the height scale, indicating the height from the floor up to the mower blade tip.
Other gauges are used to measure blade height by marking a clay column with the blade tip. For example, gauges such as those available from Honda include a clay column mounted on a base that may be positioned on the floor. The tip of the mower blade is turned manually to mark the clay column. A height scale next to the column indicates the blade height.
Gauges such as those described above are inconvenient, cumbersome and difficult to read. Mower deck leveling gauges and procedures for their use require reaching under the mower deck to manually orient and measure the height of the blade or blades. The measuring process may be so difficult that it may be neglected, resulting in uneven cutting problems. A convenient and simple mower deck leveling gauge is needed. A leveling gauge and procedure for its use is needed to reduce, minimize or eliminate the necessity of reaching under a mower deck.